Do you, like many other smartphone and gadget users, find yourself spending far too much time slouched over with your neck bowed? We do too, and while there are a lot of things you can try to do to correct that, it’s even more important to make sure our children aren’t doing it. That’s what the Eyeforcer wants to make easier than ever, by giving them a stark reminder to sit up straight.
No we aren’t suggesting they get a rap on the knuckles every time they slouch down like some of our grandparents did — we have a more technologically minded solution: the EyeForcer.
The EyeForcer is a smart wearable that is worn like a pair of glasses, but this eyewear has no lenses, nor even a complete frame. Its purpose is to detect the position of the wearer’s head, while being connected to the device they’re using. If that gaze dips down and the head follows, off goes the screen.
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You can make the app a little more forgiving than that if you like — that’s your prerogative as a parent — offering warnings instead of it turning off automatically. Trials show that might even be the better method, since it encourages users to keep correcting their own posture to continue playing, rather than punishing them for not listening.
It’s important to get this right too, as poor posture can lead to a lot of medical conditions down the road.
So how much does this little pair of non-glasses cost? $120 at the Kickstarter price, which we’re told represents a 30-percent discount. There are higher value pledges available, but all of them just give you more pairs of the Enforcer at the same discount level.
There’s no benefit to buying more than one pair in terms of the price. Still, the idea of a “classroom” package does suggest that perhaps as technology enters the classroom, schools should consider this sort of technology to make sure the use of electronics doesn’t have a negative impact on the health of their students.
The EyeForcer is slated to begin shipping in November 2016, though as with all Kickstarter campaigns, this date may slip as many have in the past.
